Variable timer



Oct. 11, 1938. E. R. FREEBERG VARIABLE T IMER Filed July, 3, 1935 fawn r R! Ike-same ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 11, 1938 VARIABLE TIMER Ernest Richard Ih'eeberg, Moline, IlL, assignor to Eagle Signal Corporation, Moline, 111., a cor-- poration of Massachusetts Application July 3, 1935, Serial No. 29,824

22 Claims.

- This invention relates to variable timers, and more particularly to those utilized, in connection with the-signaling systems adapted for controlling the movements of highway tramc, for supervising or maintaining a plurality of individual traillc signal control mechanisms, for diverse 4 intersections, in predetermined functional relationships one to another.

Variable timers heretofore available for supervising groups of traffic signal control mechanisms,

such asthose groups ordinarily utilized at highway intersections for effecting so-called "progressive control of the displays of signalaspects, have embodied features exceedingly intricate and complicated in character, as exemplified by the clutches, oil baths, solenoids and the like, which have been employed foreifecting revisions of the cycle or operating speed of such. timers.

Furthermore, such complexities of character have resulted in the adoption of designs and methods of manufacture which have'rendered the resultant mechanism subject to undesirably frequent disarrangement and, when disarranged,

requiring the services of those highly skilled and having special training for effecting repair and readjustment.

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to provide a variable timer of simple, sturdy and compact design, such as will be readily susceptible to adjustment, maintenance and/or repair, by persons of ordinary intelligence, without recourse to special facilities.

It is another important object of this invention to provide a variable timer capable of effecting a plurality of types of operating cycles, each differing from another in cycle time or duration, and each accomplished without the utilization of complicated speed changing devices. Another important object of this invention is 40 to provide a variable timer having a constant speed driving motor, a variable speed timing device and simple, compact change gear mechanism intermediate the motor and the timing device for readily effecting diverse operating characteristics of said timing device.

Another important object is to provide a variable timer wherein speed changes may be readily accomplished without manual adjustments other than necessary for selectively indicating the desired speed.

Another important object of this invention is to provide selector mechanism which may be readily set indicative of a comparatively extensive revision of timer operating speed, and which will thereafter act to automatically accomplish attainment of the selected operating speed.

Another important object is to provide a variable timer with speed changing facilities including delaying mechanism whereby speed changing adjustments may be accomplished only at speciilc periods in the operation of the timer.

Another important object is to provide a variable timer with speed chansing facilities including change limiting mechanism whereby speed changes may be accomplished only in steps of predetermined magnitude and with predetermined relatively timed intervals between changes. A further important object of this invention is to provide improved variable timer mechanism which, for the accomplishment of all, any one or of any group of the foregoing objects, shall be of greater effectiveness and reliability, composed of a smaller number of parts severally characterized by strength, durability and facility of assemblage,

as well as amenable ture.

Other and more specific objects and advantages to a lower cost of 'manufacwill appear in the following description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention or will be apparent therefrom to those skilled in this In a preferred embodiment of this invention,

the foregoing objects and others ancillary thereto are accomplished as follows:

A more or less constant speed driving means,

such as a synchronous motor, is provided for driving a splined or slotted shaft upon which gear changing mechanism is so keyed or secured as to be rotated thereby while slidable along the length of said shaft.

A group of gears of successively diverse sizesis fixed upon a shaft adjacent to said splined shaft in such order as to present the general outline of a truncated cone, and preferably in such relative arrangement that at some point of the circumference thereof, the teeth of all gears will be in alignment.

of said cone of Bears.

A cam shaft, having a series of cams fixed thereon for controlling desired circuits, is geared to the shaft up n which said fixed.

cone of gears is Selector mechanism including a notched rotatable dial having an attached barrel further includes two oppositely tensioned sprirms respectively associated with two arms which, in

turn, lie in the path of a pin-moving with a,

gear. Said gear meshes with a gear rack carrying a shifting fork whereby, through said gear pin, said gear, said gear rack and said shifting fork, said springs urge movement of said arms to actuate said gear changing mechanism responsive .to presettings of said selector mechanism. As a result of such urge, said beveled pinion is moved. into engagement with that cone gear representative of the desired timer operating speed to which said selector mechanism is at any time preset; such movement of the pinion also serving to so place the gear train as to maintain suitable cooperative relationship therewith.

Change delay mechanism is provided which includes a change delay shaft having fixed thereon agroup of disc-like members so associated as to form a drum-like structure which will be hereinafter referred to as a "delay drum. Raised segmental sections or portions carried by these disc-like members are disposed in progressively presented relationship so as to provide a generally spiral eifect about said structure.

The delay shaft is geared to said cone gear shaft for rotation at a speed preferably somewhat slower than that of said cone shaft.

A guide tongue associated with said gear changing mechanism is arranged to engage the sides of the raised portions of said disc-like members to the end that movement of saidgear changing mechanism along said splined shaft from one associated cone gear to another is permitted to occur only in steps predetermined as to magnitude and as to timed relationship with the rotation of said gear. cone; of these steps being preferably such thatthey will occur only during the portions of the revolution of the gear cone when the aligned-teeth thereof are presented to the beveled faced pinion.

For the purpose of facilitating a ready understanding of this invention and what are considered to be its novel characteristics, an embodiment thereof is represented in the annexed drawing and hereinafter described. Such embodiment, though practical, is by no means the only one which the invention may assume, wherefore the invention is not confined to any particular degree of conformity with the more or lea diagrammatic representation of the drawing but may be changed and modified in various particulars, so long as such changes and modifications make no material departures from the invention as more particularly set forth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, isometric representation of a variable timer embodying this invention, with certain parts exaggerated in scale and/or cut away in section to more clearly disclose the intended relationships and the functions of the mechanism, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of certain parts of Fig.- 1, showing a preferred form of a part thereof.

This variable timer is of a type which is sometimes referred to by the term master timer", and comprises a synchronous motor M for imparting rotation to a shaft 2, at a suitably constant speed, through reduction gearing comprising a worm gear |l2, which is fixedupon a shaft Ill of motor M and which meshes with a worm wheel I; a pinion I", which with the worm wheel I is fixed upon a shaft I"; and a gear III], which is fixed upon a shaft III and which meshes with'a pinion Ill.

Change gear mechanism G is supported upon the shaft II! and a guide rod I" for asliding movement lengthwise on said shaft and rod; said rod being supported in fixed relation to said shaft, and said shaft having a spline or key way ill formed therein for said portion of its length as will permit suitable movement of said change gear mechanism along the length thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Said change gear mechanism includes a head I which engages the rod Ill to be guided thereby, and further includes arm's III, III, which are Journaled upon the shaft 2.

A guiding tongue I32 is carried by the head H4 and is pivoted at I29 for a purpose which will be hereinafter more fully explained. Thistongue is so formed and supported that it may be swung around said pivot by and out of the path of an engaging one of the projecting portions I88, I, etc; A flat spring I3! is so associated with said tongue, and of I tension such III, II! of the mechanism G, so as to move therewith along the length of the shaft 2; said pinion I20 engaging the spline or key way iii therein-so as to be rotated thereby. Agear I2! is journaled upon a stud I24 between said arms H8, H8 and meshes with the pinion l2l. A beveled driving pinion I is iournaled upon a stud I28, and is also situated between said arms H8, H8 and meshes with the gear I22 to be driven thereby. Said driving pinion III has formed therein conventional spur gear teeth Ill and, cut in alignment therewith, spur beveled gear teeth Iii".

A shaft I" has fixed thereon twelve gears I42, I, ill, I, I", I52, I", I", I", I, it! and I of progressively diverse size, and so relatively positioned on said shaft as to collectively form, in effect, a truncated gear cone with the various components of which the pinion ill may be brought into meshing relationship ,ther so relatively fixed upon said shaft that,

when the parts are positioned as shown, there will be substantial alignment between the teeth of all of said gears which are then in position to be engaged by the pinion ill; to the end that. when the shaft I" is so positioned, movement of the pinion iil from one to another of said gears will be facilitated.

The arms IILHQ' are so associated with the change gear mechanism G that they may rock around the shaft 2 to an extent sufiicient to carry the stud III to all of the positions which it should assume'in order that the pinion I may be brought into suitable driving relationship with any one of the cone of gears carried by the shaft Ill; said arms being urged, as by gravity, to swing around the shaft III in such direction as to carry the pinion Ill toward the gears of said cone.

A gear I88 and a pinion I88 arealso fixed upon the shaft I; Gear I 88 acts through an intermediate gear I10, an intermediate pinion Ill and a driven gear I12 to rotate a cam shaft I14. Pinion I88 acts through 'an intermediate gear I18, an intermediate pinion I18 and a driven gear I80 to rotate a shift delay shaft I82 upon which said gear I80 is fixed. I

The trainof gears comprising gears I88, I10, I18 'and I80 may be such as to effect a suitable gearing reduction ratio. As shown, such ratio is six to one'between shafts I40 and I82 or, in other words, such gearing eflects a reduction which will make it necessary for shaft I40 to complete six revolutions for each revolution completed by Shaft I82.

A shift delay drum D is fixed upon the shaft I82. This drum comprisesa unitary assembly including circular end discs I84, I88, and a group of guiding discs with eleven associated segmental raised portions of which the five nearest the right end and the four nearest the left end of the group are shown and respectively numbered I88 to I82 and I95 to I 88. These raised portions are so situated as to form abutments for the tongue I82, for thereby obstructingmovement of the head II4 lengthwise the rod I I6 and the shaft H2, and are so situated that the pinion I80 will be positioned in proper meshing relationship with an appropriate one of the cone gears when said tongue is situated between the paths of rotation of any adjacent two of said raised portions. The circumferential length of saidraised portions should .be such that, due to the rate of rotation of said pinion I80, as it is carried from one to another of the cone gears. As shown, each of these raised portions has a circumferential length of approximately one-half of the periphery of the drum D. The circumferential positioning of the raised portions of said drum D is further such, with regard to the gearing ratio between shafts I40 and I82, that whenever, during rotation of shaft I82, the trailing end of any one of said projections is withdrawn from the path of the tongue I82, the cone of gears carried by the shaft I40 will then be in such portion of a revolution that the aligned teeth thereof will be in the path of axial movement of the pinion I80, so as to facilitate transfer thereof from one to another of said gears.

The length of the raised portions of said drum D may be, as indicated in Fig. 1, approximately one-half of the circumference; however, best results will be obtained, for reasons hereinafter more fully explained, if said raised portions extend nearly around said drum, as indicated in Fig. 2, the leading end of each projection being spaced from its trailing end by a distance slightly greater than the width of the tongue I82, so that said tongue may freely pass therebetween.

In any event, the end-spaces of the adjacent raised portions should be circumferentially displaced one from another, so as to provide a spiral efi'ect; or the surfaces of the drum D otherwise so formed as to include structure presenting a generally spiral effect and situated in the path of and for governing axial movement of said tongue I82, to thereby establish a progressive timing for movement of said tongue.

Circuit controller mechanism is provided, comprising cams 200, 202 and contact arms 204, 208 Journaled upon a pivot shaft 208. 'The contact arm 204 has contacts 2I2 associated therewith, and a spring 2I0 which urges movement of said arm toward the cam 200, so that the contacts 2I2 will be closed only while the raised portion of said cam is withdrawn from the path of said arm. Contacts 2 it are so associated'with the contact arm 208 that when the free end of said arm is supported by the raised portion of cam 202, said contacts will be closed, and a spring 2 is so applied to said arm that when the raised portion of said cam is withdrawn from the free end thereof, the contacts 2 I8 will be separated. The cams 200, 202 are fixed-upon the sha.'t I14; and, although here shown as being of plain disc type, these cams may be of any wellknown construction, either solid and fixed as shown, or adjustable.

Selector mechanism 8 is provided for effecting desired speed revisions. This mechanism includes a notched disc 280 and a barrel or sleeve 282 which moves with-and is supported thereby. Said disc has indicia associated with the notches therein and-is Journaled upon a shaft 284 formtat-ion, together with the barrel 282, independently of said shaft. A-fiat coiledspring 288 is contained within said barrel and has the inner end thereof attached to the shaft 284 and the outer end secured to the inner surface of said barrel 282, so that counter-clockwise displacement of saidbarrel with relation to said shaft will wind said spring.

A sleeve 244 is freely iournaled upon said shaft 284. A second fiat coiled spring 248 has the inner end thereof secured to said sleeve and the outer end thereof secured to said barrel 282 so that clockwise displacement of said drum with relation to said sleeve will wind said spring. I

A gear 242 is situated adjacent to the barrel 282 and is freely journaled upon the shaft 284. A gear rack 258 meshes with said gear 242, and is carried by a guide bar 258 of cross section suited for slidable cooperation with a groove in a suitable support (not shown). A shifting fork 280 moves with said rack and bar and engages the supporting head H4 for moving same along the? length of the shaft II2.

A pin 240 fixed in the gear 242 projects from said gear into the barrel 282.

Arms 288 and 248 are fixed upon the shaft 284 and the sleeve 244, respectively, in such relationship that the springs 288 and 248 are at all times somewhat tensioned for urging counter-clockwise movement of the arm 288 and clockwise movement of the arm 248; the free ends of these arms extending into the path of movement of the pin 240.

A limiting block 280 is fixed upon the inner surface of the barrel 282 and extends into the paths of the free ends of the arms 288 and 245; the form of said block being preferably such that, when in radial alignment with the pin 240, it

will insure separation of the arms 288 and-248 as great as or somewhat in excess of that which would be caused by said pin 240.

A locking lever 212, pivoted independently of the-disc 280 at.214, carries an operating handle 218 and is provided with a locking projection 218 for engaging one oranother of the notches 280 formed in the peripheryoi' the disc 280, to there- Operation Assuming that current of suitable characteristics' is applied. through the conductors 288, 288 for causing the motor M to operate at intended speed, and that the-parts are positioned as shown in the drawing, operation of the variable timer hereinbefore described will be as follows:

Motor M will cause shaft I00 and wormgear I02 to be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow at a suitably constant speed. Gear I02 will act through wheel I04, shaft I08, pinion I08 and gear IIO to rotate splined shaft II 2. Pinion I20, gear I22 and beveled driving pinion I will thus be caused to rotate pursuant to the rotation of shaft II2 and thereby to effect corresponding rotation of cone gear I48 and of .the shaft I40.

Such rotation of the shaft I40 will be transmittedto shaft I82 through the gear 'train I68, I18-I18, I80, and to cam shaft I14 through the train of gears I88, I10, HI and I12. The cams 200, 202 will thus be caused to rotate at desired speed in counter-clockwise direction due to the speed of rotation of the motor shaft I00, which shaft drives said cams through the gear ratio indicated by the drawing. The operating cycles or revolutions of these cams will be accomplished in '77 56 seconds so long as the disc 280 of the selector mechanism S is positioned (as shown) with the one of its notches 280 which is midway between the indicia 15 and 80 positioned for engagement by the projection 218 of lever 212.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the condition of the current paths through conductors 288, 290 and 292, 294 will be subjected, every 77% seconds, to the cycle of changes repre- 'sented by the contours of the cams 200, 202. It will also be evident that the timing of such cycles will be accurately accomplished.

For changing such timing, the projection 218 should first be swung away from the disc 230,

by grasping the handle 218 carried by the lever 212, and said disc should then be so rotated as to bring in alignment with said projection 218 such one of the notches 280 as is representative of the desired cycle time.

Thus, for example, if it is desired to shorten the cycle time from 77 to 60 seconds, the notch 280 designated by the indicia 80 should be positioned in alignment with the projection 218, and the lever 212 should then be rotated to its normal position, carrying the projection 218 into such notch 288.

Such movement of disc 280 and barrel 282 to the 80 (second) position, will correspondingly move both ends of the spring 248; the outer end of said spring being directly moved with the barrel 282, and the block 250 acting through the arm 248 and the, sleeve 244 to correspondingly rotate the inner end of said spring, so that there will be no resultant alteration in the tensioning thereof.

On the other hand, such movement of the disc 280 will. through the barrel 282, cause the outer end of spring 288 to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction.

Since arm 288' (and, therefore, the inner end of spring 288) may, at this time, move counterclockwise only as permitted by corresponding movement of pin 240, said spring will be wound to such extent as the angular displacement of the outer end thereof may exceed that (if any) then permitted for the inner end thereof by rotation of the gear 242 responsive to the urge of said spring.

71 From the foregoing it will be seen that the mean":

that theraised portion m is in. the path of .the tongue I82, the pinion I88.wi1i continue to engage the gear I48 until said raised portion I88 is withdrawn from the path of said tongue I82, when said pinion I80 will be carried into engagement with the gear I48. This action will occur at a time when the teeth of these gears tained, by the raised portion I8I, in driving en-' gagement with the gear- I48, until the shaft I40 has completed three revolutions, and has again brought the aligned teeth of the cone gears into the path of: the pinion I80; whereupon,- the raised portion I8I will be withdrawn from the path of the tongue I82, and the spring 288 acting through the intervening parts as already explained will cause the. pinion -I80 to be moved from engagement with the gear I48 and into engagement with the gear I80. The leftwise movement of the tongue I82 will then be arrested by the raised portion I82.

With disc 280 thus retained (by the projection 218) in position representative of a 60 second cycle, pinion I80 will be moved to the left, from the position just described, in a succession of steps each of which is of a magnitude equivalent to the relative spacing 'of the respective gears I82, I84, I88, I88 and I80 of the gear cone. For the reasons hereinbefore explained, such of three revolutions of the shaft I40, and opera-' tion, pursuant to the alteration of ratio established by such change, will continue until the pinion I80 reaches and meshes with the cone gear representative of the selected cycle duration which, in the foregoing example, would be gear I80 representative of a .60 second cycle.

The described action of the shaft delay drum D not only serves to facilitate gear ratio transfers but also serves to prevent sudden or abrupt occurrence of extensive changes in speed which may be more or less detrimental to mechanisms affected.

By utilizing the drum D in the application of this invention for supervising systems comprising a plurality of trafllc signal control mechanisms, changes in the speed of operation cycles of such mechanisms may be accomplished in easy, gradual steps without noticeably affecting the socalled progr'essive" tramc movement permitted by the signals of the system.

When-the parts have attained the positions as just described, the pin 248 will cause such positioning of the gear 242 and intermediate parts that the tongue I82 will be retained substan-- tially midway between the paths of the raised portions I88 and I81; and the pinion I88 will be positioned for properly meshing with and effectively driving the gear I88.

Due to the extent in which the diameter of gear I48 exceeds that of gear I 88I'it is evident that. up n attainment of the setting Just deas hereinbefore described-he so moved that the notch representative of the desired cycle duration will be in alignment with the projection 218.

Such cycle lengthening movement will wind the spring 243 and thereby cause the arm 248 to urge the pin 24I. to rotate the gear 232 in clockwise direction while notaltering the condi tion of spring 233.

The fork 263 will thus be urged to move from left to right and, as such movement is permitted by the cooperation of the raised portions I83, I33, etc. with said tongue I32, the pinion I33 will be moved, in a manner corresponding to that hereinbefore described with relation to its movement in the opposite direction, \mtil said pinion is properly meshed with a gear of such diameter as will enable itto drive the cams-200, 202 at the desired speed.

Movement of the mechanism G-especially that from smaller to larger gears-is facilitated by the bevel cut teeth I33" which serve for maintaining continuous driving engagement during transfer of the pinion I30 between gears of diifering diameter.

The discs I83 and I33, at the respective ends of the drum D, serve as extreme limits for the axial movement of the tongue I32.

When the disc 230 is rotated for the purpose of changing the cycle length, the first step of the change may, under certain circumstances, occur immediately. Such circumstances involve the positioning of the drum D so that movement of the tongue I32 urged responsive to such rotation of said disc 230 will not be blocked by that one of the raised portions I33, I83, etc. whose' path is nearest to said tongue on the side thereof toward which it is urged.

Thus, if the parts are positioned as indicated in Fig. l, at a time when the disc 23!! is rotated counter-clockwise, it is evident that the raised portion I 90 will not obstruct the resultantly urged movement of tongue I32, and said tongue will immediately move into engagement with raised portion m and, if the movement of the disc 23!! has been such as to call for more than one step of transfer of the pinion I30, a second step of movement will thereafter quickly ensue, when the raised portion ISI is withdrawn from the path of the tongue I32 by the further rotation of the drum D. I

If, however, the preferred arrangement indicated by Fig. 2 is employed, the tongue I32 will be permitted to move responsive to any revision of the setting of the disc 230 only at a'time such that an ensuing step of movement will be properly timed thereafter; and, furthermore, at a time when the aligned teeth of the cone gears will be disposed in the path of the axial movement of the pinion I33.

Should the. leading end of a raised portion I88, I", etc. encounter the tongue I32 (which might occur, for example, were the disc230 permitted to remain in a position presenting a portion thereof between a pair of the notches 230 to the projection 213) the resultant engagement of the tongue I32 by such raised portion would cause said tongue to swing around 1m pi ot I29 against the tension of the spring I3I, thus permitting such raised portion to pass under the free end of-said tongue. It will be evident, however, that during the timesaidtongue is beingsoswung, orwhile a raised portion is so passing beneath the'free end thereof, movement of said disc 230 to bring one of its notches 233 in registering relation to the raised portion 21:, will cause the pinion no to I be moved into proper relationship with one of the cone gears and thereby carry the tongue I32 to a, position where its free end will be moved by the spring I II into the space between the raised portion which had swung said to ue out of its path and that raised portion which is adjacent theretoand nearest in the side thereof toward which movement of said tongue is urged responsive to the setting of the disc 230.

If it is desired that movements of the tongue I32 shall be permitted only at a predetermined stage ofthe rotation cycle of the cams 200, 202, there should be such ratio between the shafts I82 and I14 and the spaces between ends of raised,portions I88, I89, etc. should be so positioned as to become effective for permitting axial shifting or lengthwise movements of the pinion I30 only during a desired portion ofsaidcam rotation cycle.

The explanations hereinbefore given as to an illustrative application of this invention to certain of the many possible uses thereof, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, are believed to be fully sufficient to enable those skilled in this art to apply this invention to all situations to which it is suited; however, as a concrete example of one such application, attention is directed to the fact that the variable timer of this invention might well be utilized as'the "master timer" briefly referred to in the co-pending application of Harrison I.

Turner and Carl L. Anderson, Serial No. 755,742, filed December 3rd, 1934, for

and duration varying system therefor.

to fall between the scope of any of the following:'

1. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for'said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism comprising a delay drum, means for rotating said drum, a guide tongue movable with said pinion axially of said drum, and discontinuous annular raised portions distributed axially along said drum in the path of said tongue and spaced to permit adjacent raised portions to pass freely at respective sides of said tongue when said pinion is positioned for meshing relation hip with said gears, the spaces between the ends vof Signal controlling and mechanism Claim is made to, and it is desired to secure by tongue to pass therethrough.

2., In a variable timer; circuit controllingoperation of'said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears: driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds: shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism comprising a delay drum, means for rotating said drum, 0. guide tongue movable with said pinion axially of said drum, and raised portions carried by said drum for restraining axial movement ofsaid tongue incidentalto lengthwise movement of said pinion from one to another of said gears, said raised portions being circumierentially' displaced one from 8. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds,,said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship drum,

with various ones of said gears; driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and

change delay mechanism comprising a delay' drum, means for rotating said drum, a guide tongue movable with said pinion axially of said drum, and raised portions carried by said drum for restraining axial movement of said tongue incidental to lengthwise movement of said pinion from one to another of said gears.

4. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for-said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism comprising a delay means for rotating said drum. a guide tongue movable'with said pinion axially of said drum, and'a raised for atr'times restraining axial movement of said tongue. I

5. In rvariable timer; circuit controlling mechanismrchange gear mechanism for causing operation one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears: driving means for said pinion; mechanism. operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds: shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishingpreselected speeds: and change delay mechanism for straining lengthwise movement of said pinion,

6.'In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear portion carried by said drum of said controlling mechanism at any' 2,188,247 mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing gearsand for meshing relationship with various mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes arranged with certain teeth oi all said gears in substantially axial relative alignment and a pinion movable lengthwise there-' along for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preelected speeds; and change relay mechanism for permitting lengthwise movement of said pinion only during conegear posi presenting aligned teeth to said pinion.

7. In a variable timer; driving means; circuit controlling means; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling means at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said mechanism comprising relatively-fixed gears of diverse sizes arranged in an evenly spaced conical group, and a pinion associated with said driving means for rotation thereby, for lengthwise movement substantially parallel with the axis of said ones oi said gears; selecting mechanism operable-for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds of controlling means operation, said selecting mechanism comprising an adjustable part, two oppositely tensioned springs connected with said part for tensioning responsive toadjustment thereof in one direction and the other, an abutment moving with said part, and'arms in dependently movable for causing the free ends prising a gear and a rack thereof to engage said abutment and associated with said springs for spring urged movement toward said abutment; shifting mechanism for 'response to preselecting peration of said selecting mechanism, said shifting mechanism commeshing therewith, and a projection moving with in the path of the spring urged movement of said arms for eil'ecting lengthwise movement of said pinion to establish meshing relationships representative of preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism for at times restraining lengthwise movement of said pinion.

8. In a variable timer; driving means; circuit controlling means; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling means at any one of a plurality mechanism comprising relatively fixed gears of diverse sizes arranged in an evenly spaced conical group, and a pinion associated with said driving means for rotation thereby, for lengthwise movement substantially parallel with the axis of said gears and for meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; selecting mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid: diverse speeds or controlling means operation; shifting mechanism for response to preselecting operation of said selecting mechanisms, said shifting mechanism comprising a gear and a rack meshing therewith for-eflecting lengthwise movement of said pinion to establish meshing relationships representative of preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism for at times restraining lengthwise movement of said pinion.'

9. In a variable timer: driving means; circuit controlling mechanismchange gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality oi diverse speeds. said gear mechanism comprising relatively fixed gears oi diverse sizes arranged in an evenly spaced conical group; and a pinion associated with said driving means for rotation thereby, for lengthwise movement. substantially parallel with said gear and disposed;

of diverse speeds, said,

the axis of said gears and for meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; selecting mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism for response to preselecting operation of said selecting mechanism for eflecting lengthwise movementoi said pinion to establish meshing relationships representative of preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism for at times restraining lengthwise movement of said pinion.

10. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; mechanism for causing operation of said-controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds; driving means for said mechanism; selecting mechanism operable ior' preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism operable responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing the prese lected speeds; and change delay mechanism for controlling the operation of said shitting mech-' anism.

11. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable i'or preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shitting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and

change delay mechanism comprising a delay mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for. said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shitting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism comprising a delay drum, means for rotating said drum, and a guide tongue movable with' said pinion axially of said drum, the surface 01 said drum including structure presenting a generally spiral eil'ect and situated in the path of and for governing axial movement or said tongue.

13. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said. gear mechanism comprising axially'displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism comprising a delay drum, means for rotating said drum, and a guide tongue movable with said pinion axially of said drum, the surface of said drum including structure for governing axialmovement of said tongue.

14. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and change delay mechanism comprising means for permitting movement of said pinion for changing its meshing relationship with said gears only in periodic steps.

15. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a'plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and

change delay mechanism comprising means for permitting movement of said pinion for changing its meshing relationship with said gears only in periodic steps of predetermined magnitude.

16. In a variable timer; circuit controlling mechanism; change gear mechanism for causing operation of said controlling mechanism at any one of a plurality of diverse speeds, said gear mechanism comprising axially displaced gears of diverse sizes and a pinion movable lengthwise therealong for establishing meshing relationship with various ones of said gears; driving means for said pinion; mechanism operable for preselecting the various aforesaid diverse speeds; shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for establishing preselected speeds; and

change delay mechanism comprising means for permitting movement of said pinion for changing its meshing relationship with said gears only in predetermined relationship to circuitcontroliing mechanism operation;

17. In a variable timer, driving means, circult controlling mechanism operable by said driving means, speed change mechanism for effecting variations of the speed imparted to said c ontrollingmechanism bysaid driving means, mechanism operable for preselecting various diverse speeds, shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for causing said speed change mechanism to establish preselected speeds, and change delay mechanism associated with said preselecting mechanism and said speed change mechanism, said delay mechanism comprising means for establishment of said speed variations only in periodic steps of'predetermined magnitude and in predetermined relationship to circuit controlling mechanism operation.

18. In a variable timer, driving means, circuit controlling mechanism operable by said driving means, speed change mechanism for effecting variations oi the speed imparted to said controlling mechanism by said driving means, mechanism operablefor preselecting various diverse speeds, shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for causing said speed change mechanism to establish preselected speeds, and change delay mechanism associated with said preselecting mechanism and said speed change mechanism, said delay mechanism comprising means for establishment of said speed variations only in steps of predetermined magnitude.

19. In a variable timer, driving means, circuit controlling mechanism operable by said driving means, speed change mechanism for effecting variations of the speed imparted to said controlling mechanism by said driving means, mechanism operable for preselecting various diverse speeds, shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for causing said speed change mechanism to establish preselected speeds, and change delay mechanism associated with said preselecting mechanism and said speed change mechanism, said delay mechanism comprising means for establishment of said speed variations only in predetermined relationship to circuit'controlling mechanism operation.

20. In a variable timer, drving means, circuit controlling mechanism operable by said driving I means, speed ,change mechanism for eitecting variations of the speed imparted to said controlling mechanism by said driving means, mechanism operable for preselecting various diverse speeds, shifting mechanism responsive to said selecting mechanism for causing said speed change mechanism to establish preselected speeds, and change delay governing mechanism associated with said preselecting mechanism and said speed change mechanism. 1

21. In a variable timer, driving means, driven means operable by said driving means and having a time cycle, speed change mechanism for e!- iecting variations of the speed imparted to said driven means by said driving means, mechanism operable during the operative cycle of said timer for preselectingdiversespeeds, shitting mechanism rendered active responsive to said preselecting mechanism for causing said speed change mechanism to establish preselected speeds, and change delay governing mechanism associated with said preselecting mechanism and said speed change mechanism.

22. In a variable speed timer, means for etfecting operation of said timer at any one o! a plurality of diverse speeds and changing means presettable during the operative cycle or said timer for ei'lectlng predetermined alterations of said timer speed at predetermined intervals, said alterations occurring without turther manipulation by an operator.

ERNEST RICHARD FREEBERG. 

